>> rick: so glad you are with us, welcome to a new hour inside

america's news headquarters. >> jamie: great to be with you, i'm jamie colby, in for arthel, a u.s. marine veteran, on his way home after being locked up in a dangerous mexican prison and now why his mother fears for his health. >> rick: mother nature throwing a wrench into the holiday travel rush, a check on the latest weather conditions as millions of folks try to make it home, in time for christmas. >> jamie: an army wife breaks down following a surprise reunion with her soldier husband, she thought it was just a relative. how the whole thing was kept secret. first, we have to begin with the latest on the yet to be decided plan to avert the so-called fiscal cliff we have been talking about, after failing to get enough support for his plan, john boehner now says it is up to democrats to come up with a solution. with the deadline just days away now and the president and

congress home for the holidays, do lawmakers have enough time to reach a comp nize? how would it work? national correspondent steve centanni may be the only person left in washington. steve. >> reporter: it feels like it, the president is in hawaii and congress is out of town and the fiscal cliff negotiations are on hold for the holidays with no agreement in sight. john boehner is throwing the ball in the democrats' court saying the debt is too high, spending out of control and taxes should not go up. in the g.o.p.'s weekly address, he accused the president and the democrats of refusing to accept a reasonable compromise. >> the best way to address our crippling debt is to make significant spending cuts and fix our tax code. to pave the way for long term growth and opportunity. this is an approach most americans support and remains republicans' highest priority. but we only run the house. democrats continue to run

washington. >> reporter: the president left town for his traditional christmas in hawaii and he and his family arriving there this morning and he has gotten in a round of golf already. before leaving the white house, he stayed back hayes spe-- scal back his expectations, and he said it is time for compromise. >> president barack obama: we move forward together sore we don't move forward at all. so, as we leave town for a few days to be with our families for the holidays, i hope it gives everybody perspective. >> reporter: if nothing is done by the end of the year taxes go up on everyone and unemployment benefits would end for about 2 million americans. jamie? >> jamie: steve centanni working the story for us in washington. >> rick: it looks more and more likely, there may not be a deal. what would it mean? according to the tax policy center, 90% of americans would see a tax hike next year, 121

million people will pay more in payroll taxes and families making between 40 and $55,000 a year will have to pay an extra 2 grand to the government. >> jamie: an american marine veteran was jailed for months in mexico and may be back on u.s. soil today, just in time for christmas. jon hammar spent four years fighting in iraq and afghanistan to be locked up for trying to bring an antique shotgun into mexico, where he was taking a couple of days off and he said he declared it at the border and he was told it was a-o.k. to go in. dominic, i'm struck by that photograph when i see it, after learning for four months he was chained to the bed. >> reporter: it is astonishing, totally inhumane conditions, what is good news, he is driven home, across the country, taken to florida by his dad and they are expected to arrive christmas

eve in time for the holidays. good news for the family and 48 hours ago, things looked very different, like jon would be spending many more months in his cell as the mexican authorities were taking a strict stand against his case, and, he spent the night in texas and they released him, just across the border, where he was being held during those terrible living conditions, surrounded by violent drug cartel members and jon's mother said he picked up a bad bug in jail and is pretty sick with that. and bad cough apparently but is in the car getting sleep and his health being a wig worry, after the tours in iraq and afghanistan. he has ptsd from combat experience there and however his lawyer said now that he is with the family it is really helping. >> he has already driving carefully with his dad, enjoying relaxation finally and what happened is, jon wasn't in a condition to be taking pictures, i'm sure you understand that.

to see him and the family says, hopefully they soon will be able to do that. they need time to get a bit of rest. it did not come about without pressure from the state department and congress, the congresswoman, lehtinen who was pressing the mexican authorities and the rest of doc to security his release. she was one of the first people to speak after his release, was announced. take a listen: >> i say amen and hallelujah, a wonderful early christmas present for not just the hammar family but for our community. our community really rallied for jon's liberty. >> reporter: now, this took america by surprise and, mexico as well and mexico needed face saving, an exit for them and they determined he shouldn't have taken the weapon into mexico in the first place but felt he had never really intended to commit a crime and on that basis could actually let him go.

jamie. >> jamie: i know they dropped all the charges, and i sure hope love leads to his recovery, the love of his family and friends at christmas, thank you so much, for keeping us updated. rick? >> rick: more funerals today in noun, connecticut. the final three victims of a deadly school shooting laid to rest. emilie parker, josephine guy and ana marquez greene, the 6 and 7-year-old girls, 3 of 20 people killed when a gunman opened fire at sandy hook elementary and we are learning more about the gunman, adam lanza, described as an awkward, peculiar kid who spent hours in the basement of his home where his mother reportedly stored her collection of firearms. >> jamie: we're also learning federal agents aren't getting the access they want. i wonder if those guns were locked up. i'm so interested. lawmakers say investigators know who some players are and not their specific roles adding the

investigation is not where they'd like it to be. and the pain is still so unbearable in newtown, connecticut, looking at the percent of the victims buried today, the final three of them laid to rest, emilie parker, josephine gray and ana marquez greene, and, three of the girls, and it bears repeating. >> rick: rick leventhal joins us from our new york city newsroom with a fair and balanced look at the gun control debate. >> reporter: the nra chief has taken a lot of heat for his first public comments since the school shooting, that happened yesterday afternoon and he placed blame on hollywood and violent videogame makers for exposing kids to too much bloodshed and making no mention of restricting sales on assault weapons or ammo. >> i call on congress today to act immediately to do what is necessary to put armed police

officers in every, single school in this nation and to do it now, to make sure that blanket safety is in place, when our kids return to school in january. >> reporter: a "gallup poll" found 53% agreed with increasing police presence at schools and said it would be effective and a third said what the effective and 12%, not effective and asked if banning the sale of salt or semi assault or semi-automatic weapons, 42%, yes. and, 36%, not effective. and most democrats came out in support of tighter restrictions on the sale of assault weapons and high capacity magazines after sandy hook and in lanza used an ar 15 and hundreds of rounds of ammo in the killing spree? the blanket call to arm our schools is nothing more than a distraction. it is a delay tactic. it is a distraction from the

availability of military-style assault weapons on our streets, in our schools, used at malls, used at workplaces, university in movie theatres. >> reporter: some point out the columbine shootings took place during the assault weapon ban in 1999 and a year after columbine in april of 2000 and president bill clinton pledged $60 million for the cops in schools program, placing hundreds of police officers in hundreds of schools, 12 years ago. >> jamie: a lot of folks are talking about that today, rick, thanks. >> rick: switching gears, folks in the midwest digging out after the massive snowstorm. iowa crews are working to restore power to thousands who lost their lights at the height of the storm. and, record snowfall in green bay, wisconsin. packers fans, clearing 10 inches of snow from the lambeau field, the packers fans own the team,

and, a powerful storm system moved across the country and, making for dangerous conditions, and marie molina is live at the fox extreme weather center. >> the system that produced blizzard conditions and, heavy snow, now is exiting the northeast and it is still producing travel issues today. we have delays, in the airport hubs like new york, and actually newark airport international and also across the jfk airport. so again delays out there and some of those are actually over an hour, and we have snow showers but only, the accumulation is pretty much over with, across forces of the northeast and it is a bit of an acquired day and the plains and the midwest and the southeast, and, as we head westbound, a lot of systems rolled through over the last several days and again today, another system producing rain, winds, and feet of snow across parts of the sierra nevadas, and, heavy snow,

portions of california and oregon and you can see, by tomorrow, 3:00 p.m. sunday, expecting more heavy rain around san francisco and more heavy snow along the mountain passes, many people might be driving along as they head home for the holidays or head out to visit families. otherwise, current temperatures, much colder behind the storm across the midwest and the northeast, 37 right now, new york city and finally feeling like the month of december, 31 in cleveland and, 20s, rapid city and minneapolis and texas enjoying temperatures in the 60s and 50s, now across portions of california, heading into monday, christmas eve, around the corner, we are expecting more unsettled weather to return across the east, stretching across portions of the northeast into parts of the southeast and ohio valley, tennessee valley, you're included and that activity will begin already as we head into tomorrow, sunday, some of with you ill be looking at the rainfall. temperatures will be cooling off in the northeast and rain will

be snow. westbound, rick i want to point out we'll have a storm out west christmas eve and christmas day could be producing snow in places like amarillo and oklahoma, parts of arkansas and missouri, places that don't always see a white christmas, could be seeing a white christmas, this year. >> rick: happy kids, marie molina. thanks. he defied the international community by launching a long range rocket and now, we'll tell you what north korea's leader is saying, that he has planned for the future of his country's missile program. straight ahead. >> jamie: plus, rick, the president and congress are home for the holidays, talks to avert the fiscal cliff on hold, is there enough time to come up with a solution both sides can agree on? our panel will weigh in. >> rick: an pope benedict xvi what he preaches, what he did for a man accused of stealing from him.

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>> jamie: a quick check of your headlines, central pennsylvania, police are trying to figure out why a man went on a fatal shooting rampage along a rural road, and, he was shot dead by police and killed two men and a woman and injured three troopers and north korea's leader is calling for the development of bigger missiles after the nation launched a long range rocket. the first time kim jong-un has publicly called for the advancement of the country's weapons program and pope benedict xvi granted a christmas pardon, remember the former butler accused of stealing an leaking private documents, longing to the pope? he had been serving an 18 month sentence and got pardoned. rick? >> rick: well, as we have told you time is running out for lawmakers to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. congress taking off for their christmas break without striking a deal, leaving them days when they return. the president and the house

speaker, john boehner encouraging both sides to try to get the job done. >> president barack obama: we move forward together or don't move forward at all. so, as we leave town for a few days, to be with our families, for the holidays, i hope it gives everybody perspective. >> we proposed plans over and over again, the democrats used to support, but now they won't. i don't want taxes to go up. republicans don't want taxes to go up. but we only run the house and democrats continue to run washington. >> rick: a democratic political consultant, former advisor to hillary clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, and a former media spokesperson for president george w. bush. welcome to you both and what a mess. mercedes, if you are speaker boehner, do you want to sit back and let the president and democrats on the hill run this show? >> well, unfortunately, that is

the only option left, at this point the fate of the fiscal cliff lies in the senate democrats and president obama and with the record the senate democrats have, they have been unable to pass the budget in the past three years and i think speaker boehner made a good-faith effort to get the ball rolling but you can't do it when one party is involved. you need both parties to be involved and, unfortunately, president obama's stubbornness is not allowing us to move forward in getting the fiscal cliff deal done. >> rick: speaking of both parties being involved, the president has to wonder who he's negotiating with, john boehner after he was not able to rally the troops? who is he supposed to be talking to? >> look, there is no substitute for him talking with john boehner and it will get a deal done, it will be obama and boehner. there is nobody -- the talk about somehow or another, boehner's speakership being in jeopardy, that is nonsense, no one is coming behind him and senator mcconnell, the republican leader of the senate is up for re-election and as we

saw in the senate race in kentucky a few years ago, he may have to worry about a challenge from the right if he supports a tax increase. i think president obama is doing the only sane thing he can, which is reach out to the speaker and he controls the house and, that is -- and the good news for the president is the public seems by all the polls, by the fact the election came out the way it did, to be in his corner, not the speaker's. >> rick: the president -- you want to weigh in on that? >> i just -- >> rick: americans are in favor of raising taxes on the wealthiest americans and, the president did win, november 6th. >> we have seen polls that say that, they approve tax reform and want to see real entitlement reform and want to get spending under control. but, president obama has failed to bring anything up to the -- on the table, and, especially the democrats, they have been silently on entitlement reform and silent on the spending cuts and as we know, we can talk

about raising taxes on the rich. but, you know, it is like having a dad with a college daughter and they need to cut up the credit cards if they are spending too much. you have to cut the spending in order to get the -- the trillion-dollar debts under control, $16 trillion -- >> rick: could it backfire for the president? it seems like, he feels like he has the wind in his sails and looks like all the stars, politically speaking are aligned for democrats. and for the president. but could he overplay it? >> look, this is a high-risk poker game. if you are the president, again, you feel like you litigated this tax issue, certainly during the campaign and won and by and large has substantial margins in his favor relative to republicans in congress, now we get to january 1, it's not a cliff, as you know, there is a slope and it is a fairly

graduated dufragradual one and, the president and speaker boehner can cut a deal before the inauguration and before the stated union that makes most of the tax cuts, retroactive. remember when the bush tax cuts expire everything goes up and the republicans, after january 1 can say we are not supporting tax increases, we are supporting tax cuts, for everybody, but the top couple of percent and that is a pretty good hand for the president to be playing. >> rick: what about that, after january 1st? everybody gets to vote for a tax cut, obama tax cuts but they are tax cuts. >> here's the deal. it was president obama, he has to realize he won the election but the house of representatives, the republicans won the house of representatives. and he has to go back and turn the negotiations and, one thing, the republicans will not allow for a tax increase and are like that defensive line, the go line and, basically president obama cannot get in, and there is --

what we know is the republicans have agreed to increasing tax revenue but we need to have the spending cuts. if we don't get them under control, what will happen is, we are seeing consumer sentiment is done and businesses uncertain and the economy will stay sluggish and not grow. >> rick: richard, last word, 20 seconds. does the president move at all on entitlements and spending cuts republicans are demanding? >> my forecast is, we'll end up with increased taxes after january 1. for people making $500,000 and over and again, most republicans east see that as a cut and i think the president put spending cuts, medicare, medicaid, cuts, hasn't talked about it much and put them on the table and we will have one-to-one spending cuts, tax increase, that will satisfy pretty much everybody. >> rick: good to see you, merry christmas and happy new year to you both. thanks.

>> thank you. >> jamie: it is almost always good news, this time of year, people get temporary jobs and actually the number of temporary workers hired to meet the demands of other industries, is on the rise, is it good or bad for the overall economy, anyway, we'll tell you how to finds the job and what it means for all of us. >> rick: a christmas surprise for the children impacted, by hurricane sandy. how a group of volunteers made their holiday wishes, come true. sometimes life can be well, a little uncomfortable. but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom,

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>> jamie: welcome back, bottom of the hour, top of the news, a marine veteran is back on u.s. soil making his way home after spending months in a mexican

prison. jon hammar was arrested in august on what his family and attorney are calling trumped up gun charges. >> rick: new signs workers' paycheques may get smaller, a payroll tax break is scheduled to expire at the end of the year unless the president and congress decide to extend it, americans would see a 2% tax increase, on january 1st. >> jamie: and, threatening to take control over two christian towns in syria and say government forces are using them to attack neighboring areas. >> rick: they were some of hurricane sandy's most vulnerable vis ctims and now children hit hardest by the storm are getting a heart-warming surprise this time of christmas and, dan bowens has more from our affiliate station in new york city. >> reporter: an unexpected christmas surprise for the children of ps253 in the

rockaways. >> shout it out... ♪ >> reporter: the holiday joy is deeply appreciated by the students, many with families still dealing with the aftermath of hurricane sandy. >> a lot of them have been going through a lot of difficulty, the past few weeks. trying to recover, and, you know, some apartments not having lights on. >> reporter: state senator malcolm smith playing the role of the santa and since the stormed worked with hot 97 identifying families in need. >> alisyn: this is overwhelming, i mean, your heart gets full and, a young man... santa, santa! >> reporter: helping collect most of gifts... we told you about this good samaritan and her friend last month and started their drive after noticing children's toys among the debris of the super storm. >> we are able to actually have 600 toys, donated, from different people, all over the

country. >> reporter: we were with her as she made her last rounds, throughout the tri-state, filling up the rented van with gifts, a sleigh that would make santa proud. >> with everything going on these days, it is just -- really, really nice to be able to take care of the kids. >> merry christmas! >> rick: a nice story and we thank dan bowen from wnyw in new york. >> jamie: and now it is the christmas shopping season, taking break and hanging out with us, the number of people you may have noticed hired to work during the holidays, turns out is reaching the highest levels in years. how many positions can turn into careers? some will and what does it mean for the economy and the unemployment rate? the founder and ceo of powell financial group joins us. -- you hardly need an introduction. this year, i'm happy we are talking about this time of year,

pat, there are jobs out there. what is your prediction for the start of 2013? do they go away at that point. >> if we can ignore the fiscal cliff for a moment. we are chugg along and had 146,000 job at the last time, the department of labor reported and and expecting more seasonal jobs and, that is good, some people want a seasonal job. but the best employees are held over and are offered full-time jobs and if you are out of the workforce it is great to get back in. >> jamie: don't be a snob, consider it as a foot in the door. >> absolutely. >> jamie: we talked about how to get yourself noticed before. i want to ask you where those jobs are. we think gift wrapping and department stores, office work, stuffing envelopes and -- government jobs? we hear they are -- unemployment rates are lower than private

sector. >> certainly at the federal level, the state level, not so much but the federal level, if you get into the federal government, not the post office but the federal government and, the federal government has been ballooning, in the last few years. so, certainly that is an opportunity for some people. >> jamie: let's say they hire people and some stay on as permanent workers, for others. do you think salaries will ever get up to the rates they were for jobs? i know the minimum wage goes up from time-to-time. can some employees who may be underemployed expect at some point to regain their financial picture? future? >> i'm absolutely an optimist but i think it is all about what you bring to the table. if your skills have gotten rusty get skills and skills once in demand are not the same ones in demand today. you have to seep yourself current, no matter where you are in the economic spectrum you have to keep your skills up to par and if you let them lguish

your salary will go down, certainly, in real terms. >> jamie: is there a prejudice against workers out of the workforce for a while, even with the temporary jobs? >> without a doubt them. longer you are out. you turn from unemployed to unemployable. and, you know -- no, you cannot pass a law that says you cannot discriminate. you can try but at the end of the day those people have less and less skilled and at trophied and it is hard to -- >> jamie: i said don't be a snob. truly, it is great you have the high-powered job at the corn office ber office but you need to work. >> there are jobs today that didn't existence or 15 years ago. get skills and go back to school but don't go back to school and get cs, you want to be the a student, not the guy at the bottom of the class, nobody wants to hire him. everybody wants to hire the guy at the top of the class with recommendations from the teachers. >> jamie: okay, mom, i'll do my

homework! the last thing: say the unemployment numbers come out january, february, march and everyone is excited because they've moved, because -- how do we know whether or not it is because of the temporary jobs or because people who are temporary became permanent. >> there are temporary jobs every year at this time. and when we look at the jobs at least through november they are better than november jobs from the prior year. and we expect that the december jobs, temporary jobs will be better than the jobs temporary last december. >> jamie: a real increase. >> yes. >> jamie: great. are a lot of folks working from home? >> more and more. i see that in well-paying jobs. highly professional jobs. people are working for people they've never met across the country and teleconference because they have skills and they are expected with those skills to do whatever is expected of them and they do.

>> jamie: anybody i have talked, to 1-800 number, i have been asking, are you working from home, if it is quiet in the background, the best customer service i ever received with the airlines, has been someone working alone at home. interesting, don't -- >> it work -- >> jamie: don't give up. >> there are jobs out there. >> jamie: that, you are an optimist and you are onto something. >> rick: it wouldn't be quiet in the background of my house if i were on the other ends of that. lots of kids screaming, thanks, great to see you, coming up, president obama nominating senator john kerry to become america's next secretary of state but does he have what it takes to be the nation's next top diplomat? we'll take a closer look, what to expect in the confirmation process ahead. also, a christmas wish grant early for one military wife, how her husband made their reunion a surprise, you will not want to miss it. the boys use capital one venture miles

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>> jamie: it was an early christmas surprise, a military wife arrives, and thinks she's picking up a family member and who did she get instead, her husband, brian purcell, who had been serving overseas in afghanistan, trying so hard to get home to oregon at the height of the christmas travel rush and he said that part was a nightmare but after months apart, look at them, they are back together again. nothing could stop them from seeing each other and their one-year-old daughter, too. we are so happy for them. >> rick: isn't that nice. what a merry christmas. president obama nominating

senator john kerry, to replace hillary clinton as the next secretary of state. senator kerry, with nearly 30 years experience on the foreign relations committee in the senate, a decorated veteran of the vietnam war and president obama suggesting that he wouldn't need much on-the-job training but the process has not come out controversy, the announcement came after ambassador to the u.n., susan rice withdrew her name from consideration, following the benghazi controversy. what can we expect? susan estrich, a professor of political signs at usc, does it matter that john kerry was not the president's first choice? >> it doesn't matter at all. the issue with kerry from the get-go was not confidential or qualifications, not loyalty to president obama after all. he endorsed him in the primaries, the issue was a guy named scott brown, who is a

former republican senators from massachusetts, narrowly lost his race to elizabeth warren and now what we'll have, there will be a temporary appointment and a special election in massachusetts. and, scott brown, notwithstanding my home state is democrat, is leading all the democrats, and the issue with kerry, it would cost a democratic seat, likely in the senate. >> rick: i want to go back to the idea the president badly wanted sutures rice to be the next secretary of state and made no secret about it and she had to go and withdraw her name from consideration. now, assuming john kerry wins confirmation, we'll talk about the process in a minute, does it matter if a secretary kerry is sitting down with a foreign adversary and negotiating this treaty or those sanctions or something like that? is that sort of a tactic a foreign power could use against him in a negotiating session?

>> i really don't think so at all. senator kerry has been there negotiating and representing or country as a u.s. senator and goes over, the secretary of state with the full power and confidence of the united states and the president. and i think any foreign leader who thought that somehow his stature was diminished because he was second choice would be completely missing the point. if anything, you know, john kerry will come in absolutely unscathed. with incredibly powerful relationships, throughout washington and the administration. and, i think he has the full power, you know, you look at susan rice, he has been loyal to obama and i have known her since she was a kid. she was the attack dog against john mccain, in the, you know, 2008 election and, i think that that is what hurt her in the senate, as much that's fact she used the talking points on benghazi. >> rick: fair enough. does john kerry sail through

confirmation? >> sail through like a missile. the funny part -- >> rick: like a missile, you say? >> like a very fast missile. >> rick: a discussion about our top diplomat... i know what you mean. >> the rule used to be, a senator was the easiest person to confirm, because there's all kinds of privilege and all of that. but what we are seeing with chuck hagel, a republican, whose name has been bandied about for secretary of defense, he's getting shot at and, we see the words, getting rice -- because of comments he made about israel and other areas and being a senator is no longer the guarantee it once was but in kerry's case he's well liked. john mccain, who was active against susan rice is already calling him more secretary. i think he's going to be the easiest confirmation. it is just a massachusetts problem that remains.

>> rick: no shortage of hot spots on the world stage. there's iran and north korea and syria and a little under a minute left. what do we know about how john kerry as a secretary of state might approach those? >> he'll be aggressive and he'll be traveling all over the world, i think she has the stature to develop strong relationships and if there is any difference between he and susan rice, susan was a tremendous advocate for human rights, and taking nothing away from john kerry, i think you will see maybe a little more pragmatic approach, and, maybe a little more white house centralization. because he will be out there all over the world. >> rick: susan estrich, good to talk to you, happy holidays. >> merry christmas. >> rick: merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> rick: she has syndicate columns, all over the country on wednesday and fridays. see you soon. >> jamie: a movie caught or eye as within the entire family can

see. pa rent guidance is already getting rave reviews ahead of the opening on christmas day. >> dave: marisa tomei, it is called the good feeling hit of the holidays. billy crystal an bette midler... >> rick: they are all here, next. >> jamie: they might be, and the director might be here. you have to stay tuned. to find out. >> rick: andy pickman is here? . questions? anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. tomato, obviously. haha. there's more than that though, there's a kick to it. wahlalalalallala! smooth, but crisp. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food, woooooh! [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable.

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>> jamie: all i hear is that your funny bone will hurt when you see this movie, it is getting laughs and it has not even opened and debuts christmas day, called "parental guidance" and is a family comedy about three generation thrown together under one roof and the chaos that ensues. take a look. >> we tried to introduce a little bit of sugar and it was like, going off the rails of the crazy train. >> hi! >> the bus goes around and around... >> did you give them cake? >> a sliver. >> jamie: sugar and kids, a no-no and, a lot of you relate to the movie and, the director

joins us now, the director of "parental guidance" and so great to meet you, you are a parent as well and there are few movies we can take our kids to and enjoy and laugh together, what is special about this movie and the script? >> i think, really what you said. i have a 15-year-old son, the opportunity to go see a movie, where he and i could watch it together. i can bring my mom to it. it really is something for everybody, and, it is relatable, because everyone's family is crazy. >> jamie: no comment! because we'll all be together soon. quick question, soon -- >> that's right, which is the best way to go see it. >> jamie: i can't wait, i'm totally excited about being with everyone, this family, how the heck do you get cribilly crysta and bette midler and marisa tomei and everybody else to do the project. it just be because it is a good story and so unique. >> it was an original idea from billie, something he spent a

week babysitting his grandchildren and on the 7th day he had a martini, and realized there was probably a great comedy in that and it was relatable. so, bette midler signed on right away and marisa tomei, amazing cast and everybody found pieces of their own family life in the film. >> jamie: i can't wait and the kids, how hard was it to direct kids to do all of this, silliness an shenanigans that really happens when the grandparents come to take care of you? >> you know, it is fun because we have, i think we went through 24 ice cream cakes, and in the beginning the kids were so excited, they were like, ice cream, we're going to eat ice cream cakes all day long and after 12 cakes, it was, no more, i'll have brussels sprouts for the rest of my life! >> jamie: i can't imagine -- and certainly, this is going to be such a success, they'll all -- these kids will be like, wow, a

hit movie. so many people will walk out of there and talk about it this season and we could all use a little lift. how great do you feel about giving folks something to be happy about? >> man, with everything that is happening in the world now, and, there is really wonderful films coming out this holiday season, we're really, the only film that is coming out, that is for the whole family, and, up lifting and every time we have seen it, with an audience, so many people laughing and there is heartfelt tears in it and it is a good fifth and the perfect gift for under the tree. >> jamie: i'll look for one in my stocking. how about that. i can't wait to see it and, i share it with friends, because it is just -- i think i'll laugh so har, just seeing the casting in the movie and hearing about the stories. thanks for doing it. what is your next project? >> well, as soon as i get done with press for the film i'll read new scripts but be lucky if i can get another one as great as this one. >> jamie: nice to meet you and best to your family. >> happy holidays. >> jamie: thank you, i know what

i'm doing christmas day, rick. working... >> rick: and, surprised billie crystal lasted until day 7 to have his first martini. >> jamie: he really knows how to tell a story. >> rick: good luck with the money, coming up, google known for taking on the biggest names in the high-tech game and this christmas, the company is taking on norad. the north american aerospace post, after several years working with google, now using bing. and google is rolling out its own santa tracker that will include christmas themed games and norad's predecessor start tracking santa in the year 1955 and, they are accurate in their sunny santa tracking and, a local store listed the phone number, in the local newspaper, and, the corporal was a good sport about

it. and, you can track movie after you see the movie. >> jamie: we always do. they are competing to do that. an santa is coming, kids. that will do it for us, though, i'm jamie colby. >> rick: the fox report with harris faulkener is coming up next. merry christmas, everybody. >> jamie: take care. i've gotine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat.